Fighting | Real Life on Rocky Top

My Royal Supply Bag

Nov 11 2018

Approaching Veteran’s Day, a question popped up from the past on my Facebook: “Would you be willing to fight and/or die to protect those you love?” Most, including myself, would quickly say “Yes”!

But there is the more difficult question: “Would you be willing to change for those you love?”

Would you choose to forgive instead of growing bitter?

Would you choose peace over strife?

Would you choose joy instead of sadness?

Would you choose hope over despair?

Would you choose to bless instead of curse or gossip?

Would you choose to be kind instead of being rude?

Would you choose to demonstrate love rather than hate?

I want to say “yes” to change. But trying harder doesn’t make change possible…. There may be behavior modification for a while, but true change comes only from within – it comes from the heart.

Peace, love, joy, kindness, patience, and forgiveness are only possible when they are flowing out of a relationship with God. I have access to them through my relationship with the King!

Addy, my five year old granddaughter, was playing in her room with a backpack filled with “stuff”. Her daddy asked her what the bag was for and her reply was “It’s my royal supply bag.” Inside the bag was her crown, a beautiful gown, some slippers, a wand, and a sword and various other “princess” necessities. Her daddy asked her, “Why do you need all this stuff?” Her reply, “Dad, I’m going to be a Queen one day!” Addy definitely sets her expectations high!

As followers of THE ONE TRUE KING, our expectations should be HIGH! Christ gave His life for our ability to have heart change.

We have a royal supply bag with us at all times. John 14:17 tells us that His Spirit dwells within us – His Spirit IS our never-ending supply of His truth, forgiveness, peace, joy, kindness, and hope. When we access those royal supplies, His love will be on display in our lives!

Romans 12:2 says “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” The word “renewing” means a total renovation. If my mind is going to be renewed resulting in true heart and behavior change, I MUST renovate my mind with His word!

If I want peace in my home instead of constant strife, I need to meditate on His words of peace and allow His peace to flow out from me.

If I want to experience true forgiveness for others rather than bitterness, I need to remember the forgiveness He has extended toward me and His forgiveness will be produced in my life.

We all have a royal supply bag that was given to us when we entered into a relationship with Christ. This royal supply bag was costly………….it cost the Almighty King of the universe, his one and only Son.

Put on the garments of praise instead a spirit of despair: Isaiah 61:3
Put on His robe of righteousness instead of spirit of shame: Isaiah 61:10
Fight your battles with the sword of the Spirit instead of words of hate: II Corinthians 10:3-5
Embrace the King as your Abba daddy instead of living with an orphan spirit: Romans 8:16-17
Walk in His peace instead of anger: James 1:20
Walk in God confidence instead of fear: Romans 8:15 and II Timothy 1:7

We have those “supplies” at our disposal – but we must access them by saying “Yes” to renewing our mind with His Word and allowing Him to change our hearts!

Preaching to Myself

Feb 01 2017

This Texas-born, now turned Rocky Top girl is not a devoted “country western” music-lover. However, sometimes there are lyrics that grab my attention. “Humble and Kind” by Tim McGraw is now on my playlist. Please don’t judge me. The chorus of this song does have biblical truth in it: “Always stay humble and kind.” The rest of the song, not so much.

“Be completely humble…”Ephesians 4:2

“Be kind and compassionate to one another…..” Ephesians 4:32

The Greek word, “humble”, in Ephesians 4:2 means “to lower your self-estimation.” For one who follows Christ, it is the acknowledgement of total dependence on Him.

The Greek word, “kind” in Ephesians 4:32 means “to furnish what is needed, to do good, or be gracious”.

Tim McGraw got it right when he put “humble and kind” together.

If one doesn’t lower their “self-estimation” and acknowledge their total dependence on God, it is impossible to show true kindness to others.

January hasn’t shown much humility and kindness in the news or on social media. There are a lot of people just yelling, shouting, complaining, arguing and marching.

One can believe the Bible is true and inerrant, be pro-life and also be humble and kind.

“Hold the door, say please and thank you!” McGraw’s lyrics continue.

Before self-righteousness happens, remember humility and kindness may be easier to show to those we really don’t know very well. “It can be easy to get so focused on the darkness around us that we never address the darkness in us.” (Lysa TerKeurst)

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Ephesus. Apparently, there were people who called themselves Christ-followers who weren’t being humble and kind to others in the church.

This preacher’s wife has had way too much experience with people who aren’t “humble and kind” inside the four walls of the church, including myself, sadly. It is imperative that we model to our children how to respectfully disagree with others. The current trend is “if you don’t agree with me you must be dumb, unpatriotic or not a Christian.”

As January comes to a close up here on Rocky Top and we enter the “love” month of February may each of us choose to be “humble and kind” to those around us. Some practical suggestions: (preaching to myself)

Say please and thank you.
Make eye contact with others and give them a smile.
Listen to others without thinking about what you are going to say next.
Have a teachable spirit. No one knows everything.

As followers of Christ, let us model humility and kindness inside the walls of the church as well as outside the walls of the church.

The Fight is On!

Sep 09 2016

I really, really do not like to fight. I’m not a fighter by nature. I would rather sit in a circle laughing and talking with others. I truly like peace with people, with my family, and with my church.

But here is the hard, cold truth. Peace came at a price. That price was His precious blood spilt for me and you. His blood poured out of His sinless, perfect life. Peace came because a war was fought.

Jesus won! But it cost a great, great price.

So as I look at His word I read “Fight the good fight of the faith.” (I Timothy 6:12). I read “I fought the good fight.” (II Timothy 4:7)

Yes, Christ has been victorious on the cross but until He returns, there is a fight! I can either choose to be a part of it or I can sit on the sidelines of life. And though I love peace, I do not like to sit on the sidelines.

The problem is when I do fight, I want to fight people. To be brutally honest, when I get really mad I want to take some boxing gloves and just hit someone really hard. I actually do that sometimes when I work out!

I hit hard. I mean so hard that the person I am working out with will say, “Donna, do you have anger issues?”

People aren’t the problem. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12

We have a real enemy, an adversary. There is one who does not want peace! He does not want peace in my life, my husband’s life, my children’s lives, and he especially does not want peace in the life of my church.

The enemy knows that the world apart from Christ is without peace. Peace is sought after by people.

People spend thousands of dollars every year to obtain peace. Some take long vacations, some buy boats and fancy cars, some use alcohol, drugs, sex, and the list could go on and on. Some just attempt to obtain peace through power over others.

If the world sees no peace in my life, the life of my family or in my church, then they want nothing to do with us. They can always attempt to find peace another way.

So if I am going to have to fight, I need to know the rules of this battle.

Embrace my identity as an OVERCOMER. When the enemy whispers “You are a failure. You can’t do this. Just give up. Quit serving Him.” I need to remind my adversary that I am an overcomer because Jesus has already won the ultimate battle. “Everyone born of God overcomes the world.” I John 5:4
Fight with my armor on. When I stand to fight, I need to do it with all the equipment that Christ has already purchased for me. I need to use defensive weapons: His belt of truth to combat lies; His breastplate of righteousness to combat my inadequacies; His gospel of peace to offer the lost world around me; His shield of faith to combat my unbelief; His helmet of salvation to protect my mind. I also need to train myself to use offensive weapons: the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God and PRAYER which pulls down the enemy’s strongholds or fortresses in our lives. This type of praying is not “bless me praying”! It is on your knees calling out His name and praying His word back to Him. It is War Room praying! Ephesians 6:10-18 and II Corinthians 10:4-5
Worship with thanksgiving. Every time the battle is on I must worship Him. I must sing His praises. I must declare all He has done in my life. “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” Revelation 12:11
Overcome evil with good. If there is a person that I might believe to be my adversary, God’s word is clear! “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” Romans 12:20

The battle is on right now in my life and the lives of those I love. It is intense and is just no fun. There are sleepless nights and hard days.

The Lord promises me He will stand by my side and give me strength. (II Timothy 4:17)

He will enable me to fight the good fight! He promises me peace in the middle of the fight.

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace at all times and in every way.” II Thessalonians 3:16